Floor machine



I 23, 1936. A, PONSELLE 2,045,4@6

FLOOR MACHINE Filed Dec. 16, 1955 l 3 Sheets-Sheet l lNv TOR im@ del E, ATTORNEYS june 23, 1936. I R A, PONSLLE I 2,045,406

FLOOR MACHINE Filed Dec. 16, 1953 5 sheets-sheet 2 ATjrolNEYg june 23, 1936. R A PONSELLE 2,045,406

FLOOR MACHINE Filed Deo. 16, 1953 sshets-sheet 5 l ATTORNEYS Patented June 23, 1936 ED STATE 0F FliE This invention relates to floor treating machines ofthe type which includes a motor driving a tool, suchas a brush, with the tool supporting the weight of the machine when it is operating on the oor surface. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a floor machine of the type described which includes numerous novel features of construction which make it possible to use the same machine most advantage- Le) ously for a number of diiTerent purposes, simplify the operation of the machine, and add to its durability.V

Floor machines ofthe type described have been constructed in various Ways and one such il.; machine which has been sold commercially in substantial quantities includes a base which is provided with a rolling support and to which is attached a handle. Mounted onl the base is the electric motor which drives a sprocket wheel journaled on the under side of the base and provided with means by which it may be detachably connected to the operating element or tool, such as a iiat circular brush. The rolling support may be swung on the: base into and out i of operative position, and, when the machine is in operation, the support is moved clear ofthe floor so that the weight of the machine then rests entirely on the tool which lies on the floor surface. In order to keep the tool from doing dam? age to the walls and furniture, the machine is provided with a protecting apron which lies over the top and extends down the sides of the tool a short distance.

With such machines, it is desirable to use tools of dinerent diameters for dinerent purposes as, for example-a machine with asmall diameter tool may best be used in a classroom in which there* are desks permanently installed, while a machine with a larger diameter tool is preferred .j for treating an open floor of large area, such as' a hall. However, these machines have not heretofore been constructed in such manner that tools ci different sizes could be used in the same ma!- chine and thus a single machine has not been ,i adapted to give best Vresults under all conditions f of use.

Floor machines of the type described are provided with control switches mounted onl a convenient part of the handle of the machine and the"`switches heretofore used have been of either the automatic or manually closing types. When such a machine is used on a oor, the surface of which isof restricted area orb-roken up by furniture xed in position, the operator finds an A vautomatically opening switch ymost convenient but such a switch is tiring when the machine isv usedon floorso considerable size' and can be time."

runv without stopping for substantial periods of In the prior machines, the switches are installed' as "a permanentpart oi the machine and` the substitutionl oli Aone typeA of switch for the'otliercannot be readily'made. Accordingly, the machines'are not well adapted for general use on hines different kinds 'of floors.

rAnotherl objectionable feature of floor maas heretoforeconstructed is that it has notbeenconvenient 'to take up slack in the driving 'c'onriectionsl the' adjustment V"ci VIV'the' parts' necessary for that purpose being somewhat dinicult to make. V present invention .is directed, t0 the rr@- ojf 'a new' vfloor machine which cver'com'es new"ma`chin'e' tools of"A dilTerent 'sizes l"'naylfbe refadilyv employed, replacement of Vene and easily made also in ment the changes necessary for the on the `job. 'I'her new Ymachine y cludes a control switch oi novel construction which can be" convertedby asimpleadjus'tfrom automatic to manualoperationA or viceversafso that'twhichever" type of switchjis most convenient to the'operator may be 'used as desired. {Themachine has a' newtype opf. motor mount ing'whieh" permits 'easy adjustment cir-nre tautness -of the' driving" connections and `it also includes new means for connecting the toolto f the' driving connections anda new bumper on the tooliap'rn. Because oi these Various novel fea'- tl'ir'es of construction, a'singvlev machinemay'be usedfor alln purposes with bstres'ults and the machine is easert'o maintain in proper working 4 for @edities ,and is met@ durable .mais Dfiof m@- a better understanding of the invention,

reference may be'had to the accompanying drawings, in which Y re 1 is a'vew of the new machine in vertical section vwith crtain'parts shown in side eleva'- tion Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the machine withthe toolremoved; A

Figure -3 is a fragmentary end View of the machinewith certain parts removed;

igurefll'is ailoottofiifplr'anview of the apron of the machine;

views, apron respectively, Athrough adifferent form" of 20 tool 'by another ubeingy simple if l' Figure 8 is a top plan View of one of the tools used in the machine;

Figure 9 is a view of the tool in side elevation;

Figure 10 is a sectional view showing a part of the new switch used on the machine;

Figure l1 is a sectional view illustrating a different form of switch; and

Figure 12 is a view of a portion of the handle of the machine.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine illustrated includes a base 20 having a hollow extension 2| at one end and the machine is controlled by means of a handle 22, one end of which is received in an opening in the extension. Mounted on top of the base and supported on spaced cradle members 23 is an electric driving motor 24, and a gear box 25 is attached to the end of the motor casing. The shaft of the motor projects into the box and carries a bevel gear 26 which meshes with another bevel gear 2'! within the box and mounted on a shaft 28. Extending downward from the under side of the box is a hub 29 in which the driving shaft is supported in spaced bearings and the hub extends through an elongated opening in the projection 2l on the base. The shaft 28 projects out of the hub and on its lower end is a sprocket wheel 30 which lies within the hollow under side of the base. The

f gear box rests on a felt washer on top of the extension 2| and the box is held in this position and the motor is held in contact with the cradle members by a bolt 3| which is threaded into a boss in the top of the base and passes through an opening in the gear box.

Mounted in a hub 32 on the under side of the base is a stud 33 on which the sprocket wheel 34 is journaled, two sets of bearings 35 being interposed between the stud and the sprocket wheel. The sprocket wheel 34 is driven by sprocket wheel 35 through a chain 36 and to tighten the chain, the sprocket wheel 30 may be moved along the base in the direction of the handle 22. For this purpose, the single holding bolt 2| is backed off and the motor and gear box moved in the proper direction. When the chain has been tightened to the desired degree, the bolt is again drawn up tight and this holds the motor and gear box structure securely in position on the three point support provided by the cradle members and exscrews 38.

tension 2 I.

Attached to the under side of the base is the apron 37 which protects the tool and this apron is secured in position on the base by suitable The apron has a central opening through which a portion of the sprocket wheel 34 projects and also has a downwardly extending ange 39 provided with a bumper 49 which may be a strip of rubber or like material held in place by a suitable wire 4| overlying the strip. The wire is continuous and formed into a loop, each end of which passes around a stud on a bracket 42 bolted as at 43 to the side ci the apron. By tightening the bolts, the wire is drawn taut against the bumper strip and holds it firmly in place.

The apron is provided at one side with an extension 44 on which the rolling support is mounted and for this purpose, the extension carries a shaft 45 on the ends of which the arms 46 are rigidly mounted. In the free end of each arm is a stud 41 on which a wheel 48 is mounted for free rotation and when the machine is not being used to operate on a iloor the arms are swung down as shown in Figure 5 so that a portion of each arm contacts with a part of the apron and the wheels `Migliori are in supporting position. When the machine is in service and its weight is to`rest on the tool, the arms are swung upwardly to a position in which the wheels are out of contact with the door.

The sprocket wheel 34 is provided on its under surface with a circumferential flange 49 and this flange passes through the central opening in the apron 37. Adjacent the opening, the apron carries a removable at ring 49', the inner edge of which lies close to the outer surface of the ange 49, and with this arrangement, the flange and a part of the apron cooperate to prevent dirt and water from entering the space underneath the base in which are the driving connections. ,The flange 49 drives the tool and for this purpose, the ilange is provided at intervals With enlarged portions or bosses 55 connected by radial ribs 5| to the central hub 52. A tool driving plate 53 is secured by screws or the like on top of each of the bosses and the plate has a portion 54 which lies free of the boss and is employed to engage a driving member on the tool.

In the prior construction, each driving plate has been mounted on a boss on the sprocket wheel with one entire end Vof the plate free of the boss and with that arrangement the plates were frequently broken in service. In the construction shown, each plate is supported along one side throughout its entire length and a portion only of the other side is unsupported and serves for driving purposes.

The tool 55 used in the machine is of circular form and the tool illustrated is a brush, the back of which carries a ring 55 with spaced driving members thereon. Each driving member comprises a boss 5l integral with the plate and a driving member 55 extends laterally from the boss, this member being connected to the boss along one side and one end thereof. Beyond the driving plate, the boss is provided with an inclined rib 65 which leads down from the top of the boss to the surface of the plate 5t.

In order to mount the tool on the sprocket wheel, the machine may be tilted upwardly, the tool slipped under the apron, and its driving membersV placed in registry With the driving plates on the sprocket wheel and moved into engagement therewith by a partial turning movement of the tool. In some cases, the workman may connect the tool to the machine by placing the tool on the floor and then bringing the machine to rest with the driving plates on the sprocket wheel 34 resting on the ring 56 on the back of the tool. The motor of the machine is then started, and Yas the sprocket wheel is rotated, the driving elements thereon engage those on the tool. Occasionally in prior machines, this method of attaching the tool has caused injury to the ring 56 on the tool because when the workman brings the machine to rest on top of the tool, the driving plates on the machine may rest on top of the driving members on the tool. Then, when the motor is started, the initial turning movement of the sprocket wheel causes the driving plates thereon to fall upon the plate 56 under the full weight of the machine. With the new construction, the ribs 60 on the tool plate prevent any sudden dropping of the weight of the machine on the tool plate and injury to the plate is thereby avoided In themachines as heretofore constructed, the rolling support for the machine has been mounted directly on the base and the position of the support relative to the center of the sprocket wheel has limited the size ofthe tool and apron that can be used. In the present machine, the rolling support is mounted on the apron and consequently, aprons and tools of different diametersmay be employed on the same machine. In Figure 4, there is illustrated an apron of relatively small diameter which may be employed on the new machine and this apron is also shown mounted on the machine in Figure l. As illustrated in the latter figure, the extension lid on the apron terminates closely adjacent to the inner side of the downwardly extending portion 6I on the base. The apron shown in Figure 6 is of substantially greater diameter than that shown in Figure i and when the larger apron is mounted on the machine, the extension di on the base enters a recess @2 in the extension on the apron.

Since the apron is attached to the machine only by a few screws and the aprons are readily interchangeable, the tools may be changed so that the machine may be equipped with the tool best suited to the purpose for which the machine is to be used.

The new machine is provided with an operating Yswitch whichr may be employed either as an automatically opening switch or a manually opening switch, as the operator may desire, the change from one style oi operation to the other requiring only a simple adjustment.

One form of the new switch mechanism is illustrated in Figure 1 and includes a two-button switch G3 of standard construction suitably mounted within a portion of the extension 2i from the base of the machine. This switch is provided with operating buttons till and 65 and when button iid is pushed inward, the contacts within the switch are 4closed to supply current to the motor and buttonv moves outward. When button is moved inward, the contacts are opened to stop the flow of current and button 6d moves out.

The switch is operated by a handle dii pivotally mounted adjacent the crossbar @l at the end of the handle 22 and leading down within the hollow handle 22 is a rod @t connected to the tail of handle 66. The rod ii extends into the extension 22 on the base and it is provided near its lower end with a portion of reduced diameter passing through a slot in a plate 69 and, if desired, connected to the upper end of switch buttonv 64. The plate @il is pivoted on an axis lying between the switch buttons and the end opposite to that through which the reduced portion of the rod 68 passes isV provided with a slot through which passes portion of reduced diameter of a plunger lii'acted on by a spring ll, the end of the plunger,` if desired, being connected with switch button t5. The spring il is held in engagement with the plunger and under suitable comression by a screw l2 threaded into the wall of extension 2i and when the screw is threaded inward and compresses the spring to the desired degree, the force behind the plunger 10 is suicient to tilt they plate iis and cause button 65 of the switch to move inward when the handle 66 is released. When the machine is in operation, the operator pulls up on the handle 5B and this movement is transmitted to the switch and causes button to move in, and button 65 to moveout and force plunger iii back against its spring. When the handle 5t is released, spring 'H moves the plunger 'lll down, fOrCrlg button 65 inward. At the same time,

piateV 69 is rocked to push up on rod 68 and is manually opened by movement of handle 66 in the proper direction.

The switch shown in Figure l is of the twobutton type but the new switch mechanism may include a standard switch 'i3 having a handle 14, which is swung from one side tothe other to open and close the switch (Fig. l1). To operate the handle ld, the rod 68 is provided with a block 'i5 having an opening for the reception of the handle and a spring It bears at one end against' the end of the block T5 and at the other against a screw lll threaded into the base. When the screw is turned in to compress the spring to a suicient extent, the spring moves the block to close the switch whenever the operating handle t of the switch mechanism is released. When the screw 'H is backed away from the Spring, the opening and closing of the switch must be effected by appropriate movements of the handle 66.

It will be seen that the new machine includes many novel features which make it much better adap-ted for general purposes than machines as made heretofore. The new machine can be .used with small or large diameter tools, and its control switch may be adjusted for automatic or manual opening as desired; lit is of greater durability than the prior machines becauseof the new type of driving connection provided between the tool and the driving sprocket wheel, and injury to the tool during its attachment is prevented by the new driving means on the tool. The mounting of the motor on the base is of simple construction and permits adjustments necessary to maintain the driving connections taut to be easily made, and the new bumper mounting holds the bumper strip securely in position and permits easy replacement of the strip when that is necessary.

I claim:

l. In a floor machine, the combination of a base, a rotary tool mounting on the base, a motor, a mounting for the motor on the base, said motor being movable along its mounting, a driven shaft connected to said motor to be driven thereby and `extending through an opening in said base, a mounting for said shaft attached to the motor and movable-with the motor relative to the motor mounting, a iexible driving element beneath the base connecting said driven shaft and tool mounting, and means for securing said motor in different positions on its mounting, the

movement of said motor and shaft mounting in a direction away from said tool mounting increasing the tension on said flexible' driving element.

2. In a iioor machine, a base, spaced supportv lng bosses on said base, a driving motor on said base having its housing resting on said bosses, a gear box attached to the end of said housing and resting on a part of said base, said box having a hub projecting through an elongated opening in the base, a drive shaft Within said hub, gearing within the gear box connecting the motor and drive shaft, a sprocket wheel on said shaft and lying beneath said base, a rotary tool mounting rotatablyrsecured beneath said base, a flexible driving connection between said sprocket wheel and mounting, and a bolt connecting said base and motor housing for holding said housing on its bosses and said box in contact with the base, said motor and boX being adjustable relative to said base to maintain said driving connection taut.

3. In a floor machine, the combination of a base having a depending ange, a driving motor mounted on the base, a rotary relement mounted on the under side of said base within said base flange, driving connections between said element and motor, part of said connections lying on the under side of said base within said base flange, a circular flange on the underside of said element, a tool removably secured to said element flange, and an apron removably secured to the under side of said base against said base flange, said apron having a depending flange enclosing the upper part of said tool, said apron having a central opening in its top through which said element flange projects with a snug lit, said apron, base, and element flange preventing access to said element and driving connections, the overall diameter of said element flange being less than that of said opening.

4. In a floor machine, the combination of a base having a depending flange, a motor mounted upon the base, a tool mounting mounted for rotation on the base beneath the latterand within the base flange, a driving connection between the motor and the tool mountinga portion of said connection lying beneath the base and within the base ange, and an apron secured to the base with its top against the base flange, said portion of the driving connection lying between the top of the apron andthe underside of the base, said apron having a depending flange enclosing part of said tool and having an opening in its top through which the tool mounting freely extends, the topof the apron, the base, and the tool mounting providing an enclosure for said part of the driving connection and said apron being readily dismountable from the base while the tool mounting remains in position.

5. In a flooi` machine, the combination of a base having a depending flange, a motor mounted on said base, a tool mounting mounted for rotation beneath the base, a driving connection between the motor and the tool mounting, a part of said connection lying beneath the base within the base ange, and an apron having a top on which the base rests on its flange, and also having a depending flange enclosing a portion of a tool attached to said mounting, said apron being readily detachable from the base and having an opening in its top through which a portion of the tool mounting freely extends, said portion of the tool mounting having an overall diameter less than the diameter of said opening, the top of the apro-n, the base, and said portion of the tool mounting providing an enclosure for said part of the driving connection.

6. In a floor machine the combination of a base, a motor mounted on said base, a tool mounting mounted for rotation beneath the base, said mounting being provided with a circular flange extending downward therefrom, a driving connection between the motor and the tool mounting for rotating the latter, a portion of said connection lying beneath said base, an apron having a top and a depending flange adapted to provide a partial enclosure for a tool attached to said mounting, and means for securing said apron to said base with the top of said apron in spaced relation to said base, said top lying beneath said portion of the driving connection, and said apron having an opening in its top through which the flange on said tool mounting extends, the top of the apron, the base, said means, and said flange providing an enclosure for said part of the driving connection, the overall diameter of said flange being less than that of said opening and said apron being readily dismountable from the base while the tool mounting remains in position.

7. In a floor machine, the combination of a base, a motor mounted on said base, a tool mounting mounted for rotation beneath said base, said mounting being provided with a circular flange extending downward therefrom, a driving connection between the motor and the tool mounting enabling the motor to rotate the tool mounting, a portion of said driving connection lying beneath said base, a plate member lying beneath said base in spaced relation thereto, and a flange member extending between said base and plate member, said plate member lying beneath said portion of the driving connection and having an opening through it through which the flange on said tool mounting extends, said plate member, flange member, base, and tool mounting flange cooperating substantially to enclose said part of the driving connection, the overall diameter of said tool mounting flange at the free end thereof being less than that of the opening in said plate member, and said plate member being dismountable from the machine while the tool mounting remains in position.

8. In a floor machine, the combination of a base, a motor mounted on said base, a tool mounting mounted for rotation beneath said base and provided with a circular iiange extending downward therefrom, a tool on said mounting, a driving connection between the motor and the tool and projecting outward beyond the periphery of said tool, said plate member lying beneath said portion of the driving connection and having an opening through it through which the flange on said tool mounting extends, a ring mounted in said opening and terminating close to the outer surface of the tool mounting flange, and a flange member extending between said base and plate member, said base, plate member, flange member, ring, and tool mounting flange cooperating to provide a substantial enclosure for said part of the driving connection, said plate member being readily dismountable upon removal of said tool with said tool mounting remaining in position.

ROBERT A. PONSEILE. 

